2014 Travel Lessons

Thankfully cheaptravel options, such as cheap airplane tickets, cheap fares, cheapdeals, discounthotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages remainreadily available as we enter 2015.

The following are some travel facts the Telegraph Travelgroup learned in 2014:

• Pilotsin the Maldives do not wear shoes.

• There aretwo Osama Bin Laden theme bars in Brazil.

• It isdifficult to tell the difference between Venice and Birmingham, which just maysport more canals than Venice.

• Canneshas a hotel that charges up to $350 per day for Wi-Fi access.

• It is asurreal experience to be the only guest at a fully staffed 80 room luxuryresort, particularly when the bar singer insists on belting out her favoritesongs while you try to enjoy a quiet Manhattan.

• Parisiansare more prudish that most outsiders would think. Local outrage was expressed as a result of anew art Installation in Paris due to its resemblance to a sex toy.

• The Almahotel in Barcelona no longer uses room keys. Instead it relies on fingerprint technology.

• It ispossible for some people to enjoy a 20 course meal and still have room forpetits fours.

• EastAnglias Beacon Hill Fort is Englands least popular attraction, averaging asingle visitor every nine weeks.

• Neverland at Heathrow Airport after 11:30 pm since after that time you will have totake a two hour bus or stand in line for at least an hour to take a $120 taxibecause there are no late trains.

• Everythingfrom noodles to nuts has been responsible for air rage.

• Singaporehas a vending machine that churns out mashed potatoes.

• Even ifyou follow all of Ryanairs hand luggage rules, you may still have your carry-onput in the hold with other checked luggage if you are not among the firstpeople waiting by the gate.

• Late seasonskiing is risky, but worth it, because being able to wear a tee shirt whileskiing is a memorable experience.

• TripAdvisorhas become so powerful that hoteliers will try almost anything to prevent badreviews.

• Thebattle for legroom in the air can get very unpleasant.

• Ljubljanais impossible for most of us to spell but it a fascinating destination for along weekend.

• Bucketlist clichs can live up to expectations, particularly if one of them is flyingin a balloon over the Serengeti.

• When inRome know that it is hard to find people who are not tourists.

• Bartendersin New York tend to get upset if you do not tip at least a dollar a drink.

• Fuerteventura(translation: strong winds) in the Canary Island deserves its name.

• Whitechapelnatives are fed up with Jack the Ripper tours. A local resident recently sprayed water on a guide.

• SriLanka is ready to move on from its past. The east coast of Sri Lanka is safe and relatively empty. The eleven new hotels in Pasikuda Bay coulduse a lot more guests.

• Switzerlandgrows tobacco. Switzerland has someimpressive architecture in the form of tobacco barns.

• Bellevillein Paris has plenty of middle aged Chinese prostitutes wandering the streetsduring the day.

• Dontmake the mistake of thinking a dog sleigh is similar to a ski lift. You have to work almost as hard as the dogs,particularly when going uphill.

• The mostisolated fine dining restaurant (Faviken Magasinet in Sweden) in the worldserves diners in an undecorated barn with dishes that include blood bread,backfat, and slice of moose heart and colostrum: the first milk produced by acow after it gives birth.

• TheNorthern Lights are worth all of their hype.

• Argentiniansteak is every bit as good as people claim.

• Someairports will not accept credit cards when paying departure tax.

• A cheapski chalet holiday is quickly becoming a thing of the past in Austria andSwitzerland.

• Stayingin an Airbnb property can be a decidedly mixed experience.

• Berlinis one of the most fun cities in the world.